Astros bringing 6 all-stars to showcase in Cleveland
NEW YORK — Last time the Houston Astros went to Cleveland, they made a boozy, bubbly mess in the visiting locker room. Now they’re invading the home clubhouse. Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole and four of their Astros teammates will lead the American League squad at the All-Star Game in Cleveland...
Ye Olde Slugfest: Yanks top Red Sox 17-13 in MLB Euro debut
LONDON — Rest assured, British fans: Most baseball games are not like this, not even the crazy ones between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. Major League Baseball arrived in Europe on Saturday night with Ye Olde Slugfest. Each team scored six runs in a first inning that...
Blackhawk grad Brendan McKay wins MLB pitching debut for Rays
Blackhawk graduate Brendan McKay didn’t disappoint in his major league debut Saturday. Given an audition with the Tampa Bay Rays, McKay took a perfect game into the sixth inning and wound up throwing six shutout innings, giving up only one hit and one walk while striking out three. He earned...
Rays officially add Blackhawk’s Brendan McKay, who will debut Saturday
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Tampa Bay Rays two-way prospect and Blackhawk graduate Brendan McKay will get two outings on a big league mound to show what he has got. The Rays added McKay to the taxi squad in preparation for his major league debut, a start Saturday against Texas. “Without...
Yankees, Red Sox set to bring America’s pastime to London fans
LONDON — High cheese comes to the land of high tea Saturday. When Boston’s Rick Porcello throws the first pitch to the New York Yankees at Olympic Stadium, the national pastime of the onetime colony will try to plant itself in the mother country. After looking at the cozy distance...
Man behind shooting of David Ortiz in custody
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — Authorities in the Dominican Republic announced Friday they arrested the man behind the shooting of baseball great David Ortiz in an apparent case of mistaken identity. Police said Victor Hugo Gomez was detained in the Caribbean country. No further details immediately were released. Authorities said...
Fans elect historically young NL lineup for All-Star Game
NEW YORK — Cody Bellinger and Christian Yelich were elected starters for one of the youngest All-Star Game lineups ever, leading the millennial-heavy National League for this year’s Midsummer Classic in Cleveland. MLB revealed the results from fan balloting for its All-Star starters Thursday. The All-Star Game is July 9....
Attorney: Girl hit during Astros game had skull fracture, seizure
HOUSTON — An attorney for the family of a 2-year-old girl struck by a foul ball during a game last month between the Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros said Wednesday that the girl suffered a skull fracture. Attorney Richard Mithoff provided the first update by the girl’s family on her...
Turns out NL East has 1 good team, not 4
Before the 2019 regular season started there were 30 teams who had at least some optimism. In the NL East, that included the Atlanta Braves, Washington Nationals, Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets. As spring training ended, all four of those teams appeared to have a shot at the division....
Mets fine Mickey Callaway, Jason Vargas after run-in with Newsday reporter
PHILADELPHIA — The New York Mets have fined manager Mickey Callaway and pitcher Jason Vargas for their expletive-filled confrontation with a reporter after a weekend loss at Wrigley Field. General manager Brodie Van Wagenen made the announcement before the Mets played Monday night in Philadelphia. He did not disclose the...
Mickey Callaway, Jason Vargas confronts Mets reporter in clubhouse scuffle
CHICAGO — The TV cameras were gone and the recorders were off when a simple goodbye turned into a near altercation in the Mets clubhouse following a 5-3 loss Sunday to the Cubs. Manager Mickey Callaway, out of uniform and in street clothes, exited his office and began walking toward...
Phillies’ Andrew McCutchen dresses as Black Panther in injury updateVideo
Philadelphia Phillies Andrew McCutchen’s baseball season ended earlier this month when the outfielder tore his ACL. But his filmmaking career might be getting a boost. The prolific social-media maven wore a Black Panther mask in a sepia-toned movie on Instagram to post an injury update. The movie with the caption,...
The Ex-Rays: Tampa Bay gets OK from MLB to explore Montreal
NEW YORK — The Ex-Rays? Starved for fans despite success on the field, the Tampa Bay Rays have been given the go-ahead by Major League Baseball to look into playing a split season in Montreal. No timetable for the possible plan was announced. An idea under consideration is for the...
The Ex-Rays: Tampa Bay gets OK from MLB to explore Montreal
NEW YORK — The Ex-Rays? Starved for fans despite success on the field, the Tampa Bay Rays have been given the go-ahead by MLB to look into playing a split season in Montreal. No timetable for the possible plan was announced. An idea under consideration is for the Rays to...
David Ortiz shooting suspect charged with drug possession
NEWARK, N.J. — One of the suspects in the shooting of former baseball star David Ortiz was charged Thursday with drug and firearm possession in New Jersey. Rolfi Ferreira-Cruz was indicted on cocaine and heroin possession charges and also a charge of conspiracy to distribute drugs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office...
First Call: Trace McSorley’s new gig; Max Scherzer’s shiner; NHL rule changes
For Thursday’s “First Call,” Trace McSorley expands his horizons. Can the NHL do what the NFL can’t? A youth umpire brings about parental chaos. Max Scherzer’s black eye is a golden moment. What’s next? Penn State product Trace McSorley may be returning punts for the Ravens. McSorley has always wanted...
Dominican AG: David Ortiz shooting result of mistaken identity
The Dominican Republic’s lead prosecutor said former Red Sox slugger David Ortiz was not the target of a shooting in a nightclub in his hometown on June 9. Attorney General Jean Alain Rodriguez said the target was another man, dressed similarly to Ortiz, who was seated with the ex-baseball star...
Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer to start despite broken nose
WASHINGTON — Washington Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer is scheduled to pitch Wednesday night against the Philadelphia Phillies, a day after breaking his nose during batting practice. Scherzer was injured Tuesday when he took a ball off his face while attempting a bunt. The team says a CT scan was negative....
Fantasy sports podcast: Penguins lead hockey interest, MLB offense soars, NBA chaos
We’ve moved up our Rotowire fantasy sports podcast for the week. Good timing. There’s a lot to get to in the fantasy sports world with Jeff Erickson. That record-setting Padres-Rockies series over the weekend was reason enough. Then there is the injury to Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard and the improvement...
Babe Ruth Yankees jersey sells for record $5.64 million
Babe Ruth is still producing eye-popping numbers 84 years after his baseball career ended. A Yankees jersey said to have been worn by him during the team’s “Murderers’ Row” period of the late 1920s fetched $5.64 million at an auction over the weekend. That set a record, by more than...
Fan takes in baseball game while enjoying tub of mayonnaise
File this one under … huh? A fan took in a Memphis Redbirds minor league baseball game this weekend while enjoying a tub of mayonnaise. Mayo. Out of the jar. Alone. Cameras captured the man at various times during the game eating the mayonnaise and the Redbirds’ Twitter account posted...
John Steigerwald: Home runs can no longer save baseballVideo
“Chicks dig the long ball.” That was the message delivered in a 1998 Nike commercial. It was the answer given by two skinny pitchers, who were asked why they were training so hard. Mark McGwire, who was on his way to 70 home runs that year and looked like an...
Slugger Edwin Encarnacion to join Yankees on Monday
CHICAGO — Edwin Encarnacion will find himself in a familiar spot after he joins the New York Yankees on Monday. Manager Aaron Boone plans to use the AL home run leader as his team’s primary designated hitter once the 36-year-old slugger arrives. The AL East leaders acquired Encarnacion and cash...
Quick work, luck saved David Ortiz, surgeons say in 1st interview
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — The assassin’s point-blank gunshot pierced the right side of David Ortiz’s back, tore through his liver and intestines and exited just to the right of his navel, still traveling fast enough to lodge in a companion’s thigh. “Please don’t let me die,” Ortiz pleaded again...
Detroit Tigers select Pitt product, Norwin grad Connor Perry in 28th round
A couple of major league teams called during Day 2 of the MLB Draft, but they decided to pass on Connor Perry. More calls came during Day 3. Still, nothing. Perry’s nerves were tested, but during the 28th round, he got a call from the Detroit Tigers. The conversation went...
